Love's Lullaby
by Picandy
Summary: There's a new transfer student in Ouran! Akiko Kimura has a dark past, and music is one of her few comforts. When the Hosts find about her talent, they convince her to join the host club, against her content. But as events pass by, Akiko seems to just be shutting everyone else, but with the help of the Hosts, will she be able to open up? eventual TamakixOC
1. First Day of My Life

I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. I only own my OC: Akiko Kimura.

* * *

Akiko stood before the large building, keeping the bright sun out of her eyes as she watched other students enter Ouran High. She had only been here for a few days, but already, she's bored with everything. These carefree people... sickened her somehow. They all lived in their own little worlds, and she was left out of those worlds.

It made her sad that no one would try to be her friend.

It wasn't that she wanted to be popular, but Akiko just wanted someone to talk to. Even if they were just study partners, Akiko wanted someone to talk tol Honestly, she'd even ask a commoner to be her friend, but her father would never approve. Akiko tried to hang on to the small hope that someone might become her friend today, but she knew that friendship came in time. Talking about time...

Akiko glanced at her watch, jumping when she realized that she'd be late for her class if she waited any longer. Hurriedly, she rushed through the school, trying to remember the route to her classroom that she was supposed to memorize. She looked at the walls for any helpful directories or signs to help her get to her class, but she couldn't find any. Soon enough, she was lost.

* * *

Kyoya didn't know why he was wandering around the school when his first class was about to begin. He was about to head back when he saw a petite blonde-haired girl with light blue eyes. He watched her for a few moments as she looked through the open doors of the classrooms, and he realized that she was lost. Deciding to be gentlemanly, he walked up to her.

* * *

"Do you need help, miss...?" A polite voice asked her.

Akiko turned around to see a tall, black-haired boy with glasses that hid his grey eyes. She looked around herself to make sure that he was talking to her before responding, "I'm Akiko Kimura. I'm, um, the new transfer student. I'm looking for my class."

The boy pushed up his glasses and asked in a polite voice, "Which class do you attend?"

"Er, class 2-A."

"I have the same class," he smiled, but it seemed fake to Akiko, "Follow me, please."

The boy started walking fast, and Akiko had no choice but to follow him, unless she wanted to be late. She sighed in relief as they entered the classroom. But the moment they entered, a blonde boy bounced up towards the black haired boy.

"Kyoya! You're finall-" the blonde boy noticed Akiko, who was standing next to the black haired boy - or Kyoya, as the blonde had called him_, _"HOW DARE YOU START DATING A GIRL WITHOUT DADDY'S PERMISSION?!" the boy cried out, holding one hand to his mouth in a gasp as he pointed at Akiko.

Akiko took a step back, disturbed by what she had just heard. _What...?_ she thought to herself,_ this boy must be crazy._

"Tamaki," said Kyoya in a forced-calm voice, "This is Akiko Kimura. She's a new student. I just met her in the hallway, and I -"

"Oh!" the boy that Akiko assumed was named Tamaki had a dreamy look in his eyes, "It was love at first sight!"

"N-no!" both of the boys stared at Akiko, surprised at her sudden, angry outburst. The blonde girl turned to look at Kyoya, "Thank you, Kyoya-san, for helping me find my way to class. And you, Tamaki-san," she whipped around to glare at him, "Don't assume things! Now please, could you two leave me alone?"

While Tamaki sulked at his gloom corner, Akiko could've sworn there was a hint of a smile on Kyoya's face. She walked to the only empty seat in the class and sat down. Luckily, the seat was next to a window so when the teacher came into the classroom, Akiko looked outside at the beautiful gardens, only glancing away to take a few notes. Soon enough, it was lunch break (the students didn't have to stand up to switch classes - the teachers were the ones who switched). Akiko sighed. Thankfully, she had memorized the way to the cafeteria. Just as she was about to get out of her seat, however, the tall blonde guy from earlier was holding a rose out to her.

"Aki-hime," said Tamaki, putting his hand under Akiko's chin so she was looking up at him, "I am so sorry for upsetting earlier. It would be a pleasure to me if you came to Music Room #3 after school."

Akiko deadpanned, "And why would I want to go somewhere with you?"

She could practically hear Tamaki's confidence shattering as he retreated to his corner. Akiko resisted the urge to laugh. She felt a hand on her shoulder, so she turned to see who it was. Kyoya was looking down at her, smiling.

"I, too, would like to extend an invitation. Please come to the Host Club after school," he said.

Akiko stared confusedly at him, "I thought it was a music room that he," she gestured at Tamaki, "wanted me to go to. What exactly is a host club?"

"I assume that there aren't any host clubs in Germany?"

Akiko nodded, then a startled look entered her expression, "Um, this may sound weird, but how did you know that I was from Germany?"

At this, Tamaki's ears perked up. He suddenly was right next to Akiko - hugging her. "Oh, dear princess, we can be foreigners together!" Pushing Tamaki away for her without a glance, Akiko waited for Kyoya to answer.

"I have my sources," Kyoya replied simply, pushing his glasses up his nose.

_That's such a helpful answer, Kyoya-san_, Akiko thought bitterly to herself, looking at the ground. Then she looked up and asked, "So, what is the host club?"

Before Kyoya could answer, two red-haired boys slung their arms around Akiko.

"You'll find out when you come later today," they said simultaneously.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?! GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY AKI-HIME," screamed Tamaki.

The two identical twins shrugged, "You took so long to come to the cafeteria. We got bored." Then a grin grew on their faces, "Your Aki-hime?"

While Tamaki flushed and babbled, Akiko realized it was her chance to escape. The twins had already let go of her, so she slipped out of the room, but she was still within earshot when they noticed that she wasn't there. She started to run - trying to get away from those... very crazy people.

She knew she couldn't go to the cafeteria - they would return there soon anyways, right? Besides, there's probably more crazies there - and she didn't know which way the music rooms were - she wanted to avoid them from here on out - so she decided to go outside. It was most likely safe out there.

Relishing the fresh air, she climbed a nearby tall tree, scraping her palms a bit as she reached a large branch that she could rest on. Sitting on the branch, she leaned back, resting her head on the solid tree trunk. It wasn't long before her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

xXx

Akiko yawned, her eyes fluttering as she realized where she was. Drowsily, she lifted her wrist to clearly see the numbers on her electronic watch. _What?! How could it become so late?!_ she stared unbelievingly at the watch. When she realized that she should probably get out of the tree and maybe try to be in time for her last class, she twisted so that she was facing the tree trunk. But as she started to climb down, she realized that at the last second that she was on the wrong side of the tree. She searched with her foot, trying to find a branch to step onto, but there weren't any.

She then made the mistake of looking down. She gasped. She was at least fifteen feet above the air. There was no way that Akiko was going to jump down. Luckily, there was a single wooden limb five feet under her toes – if she was hanging by her arms, she might be able to stand on it. Akiko took a shaky breath before taking off her propped elbows off the big branch in front of her.

The result was sudden. Her hands burned with the friction, and her sweaty fingers were about to let go. There was hardly anything to hang on to. Gingerly, Akiko stretched her leg out, trying to find the bough with her feet, and she finally found it.

Only her toe could touch it.

Akiko gritted her teeth. It was a gamble – but there was _no way_ she was going to hang onto this branch forever and wait for the embarrassment to come. In fact, she would rather be with the crazies instead of in this situation.

Hoping that her calculations were correct, she let go of the branch above her head.

Silently thanking her parents for making her take yoga and dance classes as a child, Akiko managed to maintain her balance. She lowered herself so that she was sitting down on the branch. There was only a few feet left, and Akiko's confidence grew.

Of course, it was only fate that decided that at that moment that she would fall backwards.

* * *

It was already ten minutes past the five-minute break that was in between classes, and once again, Tamaki pestered Kyoya.

"Hey!" Tamaki whispered loudly, elbowing Kyoya who was sitting in the desk next to him, earning him a wary look from the teacher. In a what-he-hoped-to-was-quieter voice (it wasn't), he asked, "Kyoya, do you know where Aki-hime is?"

Tamaki couldn't name it, but he felt something towards the new girl. He felt as if he could relate to her about moving from one country to another – leaving beloved family members, too. Tamaki wanted to see her again to try and figure out what he's feeling.

Kyoya glared at him with demon eyes, and Tamaki cowered into his seat. "Even if I did know where Kimura-san was, it wouldn't be your business. She doesn't even like you."

Tamaki went to his corner, tending to a growing mushroom farm. Losing her temper, the teacher said to Tamaki, "Suoh, would you please return to your seat?"

Tamaki turned to look at the teacher with his puppy dog eyes, and most of the girls – no, _all_ of the girls – in the room swooned. The teacher's expression remained emotionless as she pointed to Tamaki's seat. Sighing, Tamaki stood up and returned to his seat, a fowl look on his face.

As the lesson continued on, Tamaki grew bored and restless. He fidgeted. Kyoya glanced at Tamaki, but then his attention was suddenly captured by something outside. Tamaki looked at Kyoya, suddenly curious as to what interested Kyoya.

In a tree, there was a girl trying to climb down. She was swinging around on a branch, like an insa – wait! That was Aki-hime! She needed saving! Tamaki stood up, his palms on the desk as he shouted, "I will save you, Aki-hime!"

The teacher gave him a death glare. Tamaki stuttered, "I – uh, need to use the bathroom! Excuse me, teacher-sama!"

Tamaki ran out of the classroom and into the hallways. It took him a few minutes to wind through the maze of hallways, but he made it out safely. Running through the courtyard, he could see that Akiko was sitting up on the ground, her feet in front of her. Fearing that she might be hurt, Tamaki ran faster.

As he was just a few feet away from her, he could see that she had been crying. That shocked him, because she seemed to him like someone who took pain and shoved it in their pocket.

"Aki-hime?" he asked gently, "Are you okay?"

* * *

Akiko wiped a few tears away. She had started crying because of the pain. Her bottom felt so sore –it was probably bruised. Her tailbone also felt broken. Akiko had watched Tamaki run towards her, and as he wore himself out trying to reach her, Akiko thought about what she would say to him. She could always say that she had simply tripped and fell, but that probably wouldn't be a good enough excuse.

When he slowed down and approached her slowly – maybe he was just afraid of her – he said, "Aki-hime, are you okay?"

Akiko had to resist from yelling at him to stop calling her a princess. She wasn't a princess. After all, princesses wouldn't climb trees and fall down from them in a rush to be in time for a class.

"I'm good," Akiko replied, trying to make her voice disinterested. Then she honestly added, "I might need some help getting up, though."

Tamaki smiled genuinely at her as he offered a hand. Akiko took it, and he helped pull her up. It was painful for her, but she made sure to hide her pain. She took a quick intake of breath when she realized she was only inches away from him. She blushed, unsure of what to say.

He took her hand and started pulling her back to the building, chattering the whole while about how he had saved her from a near-death experience and that he will never let his daughter out of his sight. She followed him, walking steadily even though about every part of her hurt. Her hands – one of which Tamaki was holding – were stinging with scrapes because of the bark of the tree and her back and legs hurt because of her fall. She was sure that she had bruises.

She suddenly tripped over a rock or something – it didn't matter to her, because all she could focus on was when Tamaki caught her. She pushed him away right away, flushing red.

_No._

Akiko didn't want to have a crush on this stupid, crazy blonde boy. In fact, she didn't want to have a crush at all. But it seemed impossible to avoid, especially since he was standing right next to her.

"Are you okay? You shouldn't be climbing trees. You had me worried over there."

She looked up at him, studying his face. His eyes seemed to be full of genuine concern, but she couldn't fall for it. Not like she did with…

"I'm good. Do you mind going back to class? I need to take care of something."

"I'm not going to leave you, Aki-hime!" Akiko sighed. His energetic side was coming back, wasn't it? "Princes must protect their princesses until the very end!"

"I am NOT your princess!" Akiko yelled at him. She started to walk quickly – as fast as she could with her injuries – trying to be so far ahead of him. She wished that classes would be over soon, so then she could hide among the crowds of people. But as it was at the moment, he was following her and she wasn't going to lose him anytime soon.

Granting her wish, the classroom doors burst open and students swarmed out, going to whatever clubs or activities they do after school. Akiko passed by a large group of girls, trying to ignore what they were saying. They were talking about the Host Club – giggling and whispering about who their favorite Host is. They were on their way to Music Room #3. Akiko sighed in relief. At least Tamaki wasn't following her anymore – he would be going off to his club, right?

Akiko finally stopped walking and she went into a dark, empty classroom. She smiled when she realized that this room had many instruments in it – a music room. She carefully looked around to make sure it wasn't the Host Club before she walked to the grand piano that was in the middle of the room. Tentatively, she sat down on the long, black bench, hoping she wouldn't get in trouble for playingon the beautiful – and most likely expensive – piano.

She slowly pressed down the keys, and she brought her right foot to the foot pedals. Her confidence grew and she started playing every song she knew.

Around thirty minutes, she stopped playing. Her fingers were rather tired, and the sweat was hurting her scrapes. She was inspected them when she heard clapping behind her. She whipped around to see a blonde boy standing at the door.

* * *

A/N: So this is my first OHSHC fanfic! I hope you guys like it. I've been reading a lot of OHSHC fanfics and decided to give back. ^_^ I also have another idea on the way.

I guess I should explain my formatting. The long, grey line is when the point of view changes, but the "xXx" is when time passes. Also, Akiko has a really dark past that will slowly be revealed.

Please review! I really love reading reviews. I'd also really love constructive criticism! Am I rushing things?

Oh, also, I'm pretty sure "-hime" means princess. ;_; I'm not so sure on that, so if anyone knows for sure, please tell me!


	2. Enchanting to Meet You

**So, I'm actually updating! *series of gasps* And this chapter is more than 1,000 words, even though it's not more than last chapter! So, I hope you enjoy this!**

**I do not own OHSHC. I only own my OCs.**

* * *

Akiko sat still on the piano chair, staring at the short honey-blonde standing in the doorway. He was holding a pink, stuffed bunny toy. Akiko couldn't help but inwardly squee at his cuteness. Her eyes widened in confusion when she saw that he was wearing the High School uniform. _But that's impossible… _Akiko thought to herself, _he can't be any older than a grade-schooler…_

"I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka, but you can call me Honey-chan!" the blonde boy said excitedly, "And this is Usa-chan!" he held out the pink bunny.

"Oh, er," said Akiko, smiling sweetly, even though she did want a few more minutes of solitude before she had to go home. "I'm Akiko. Don't you have a friend to play with instead of talking to me…?"

"Oh!" Honey then ran up to her, crouching low as if he was sneaking around, "Takashi and I are playing hide-and-seek! Do you want to play, too?"

Akiko hurriedly shook her head, "Sorry, Honey-chan. I have to go home."

Tears came into Honey's eyes as he clutched Akiko's leg, "But I don't want you to go!"

"Um, um, um, um," Akiko's hands fluttered about as she wondered what to do, "I'll play with you, Honey-chan! But please don't cry!"

He cheered up immediately, smiling a silly, carefree grin at her, "Really?"

"Yes!" Akiko pinched Honey's cheeks, "Because you're so cute!" she leaned down and kissed Honey on the forehead. "So, what do you want to play?" she asked him.

A look of thoughtfulness – which Akiko thought was adorable – came onto Honey's face, "I have a club I need to go to. But you can come too!"

"Okay! I'll come!"

So Honey took Akiko's hand and led her through the building until they reached two double doors. "Here we are!" Honey said cheerfully.

"How am I supposed to play with you while you're in club?" asked Akiko. Now that she stopped to think about it, she wouldn't be able to hang out with him if he were doing club activities, right? She wasn't even in this club.

"Don't worry about it, Aki-chan!" smiled Honey.

At that moment, the grand, ornate doors suddenly opened, revealing five boys in a rush to get prepared. Akiko narrowed her eyes as she realized that among these boys were Tamaki, Kyoya, and the two red-head twins. There was only one person who Akiko hasn't met yet, and that was the brown-haired boy who had opened the door. The brunette turned around and called to Tamaki, "Sempai! I found Honey!"

"Good job, my sweet daught –" he stopped talking when he saw Akiko. He ran to her, his arms open, "Oh, Aki-hime, my other sweet daughter! I was so worried about you! Are your feet okay?"

Before he could hug her, Akiko put out a hand to block him. He pouted at her, but she paid attention to the brown haired boy instead. Now that she studied him, he seemed a little….girly. Akiko shook her head, smiling at her thoughts. _No, there's no way a real girl would dress up as a boy, _she thought to herself.

"Tamaki-san, I am not your 'sweet daughter'!" Akiko yelled, using one of her best glares on Tamaki, "What are you doing here?!"

Kyoya pushed up his glasses, "Kimura-san, this is the Host Club I told you about earlier."

Akiko's jaw dropped in shock, "What?! But Honey-chan said he belonged to this club, but wouldn't the Host Club only be for… high-schoolers?"

"Honey-senpai _is _a high-schooler. He's a third-year, actually," the brown haired boy explained. He smiled at Akiko, "I'm Fujioka Haruhi. Pleased to meet you."

"Are you the only sane one here?" questioned Akiko, an eyebrow raised at Haruhi's politeness.

Haruhi nodded and said in a serious tone, "I believe I am."

"Haruhi~" the two twins called, "We need to ask you a favor."

"Whatever it is, the answer is no," the twins pouted at Haruhi's answer and were about to say something when she continued on, "I still have to find Mori-senpai."

"Aww, but Haruhi!" the twins whined.

Avoiding Tamaki, Akiko walked up to the twins, she studied them carefully before asking, "So, which one of you is which?"

"Why do you want to know?" one of them asked, "Is it possible that… you are interested in us?" the other one asked.

"No," deadpanned Akiko, "I just want to be able to tell you two apart."

Sighing, the twin of the left pointed to his sibling, "That's Kaoru."

The one of the right – Kaoru, apparently – said at the same time, "That's Hikaru."

Then, leaning on each other's shoulders, they said, "We're the Hitachiin twins."

"Okay, Hika –"

"Don't lie to her, guys," said Haruhi, "Kimura-senpai, the one on the left is Kaoru and the one of the right is Hikaru."

"Oh, um," Akiko flushed, not knowing what she should say, "Fujioka-san, you can just call me Akiko. I don't mind."

Haruhi smiled at her, "Call me Haruhi, then."

Akiko beamed back, genuinely this time. Her moment of calm was ruined when the she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her. One of the twins – Akiko guessed that it was Hikaru – stuck their tongue at Haruhi, "She's our toy! Not yours!"

"Eew! You're just as disgusting as Tamaki-san!" Akiko fought her way out of their arms, not succeeding. Tamaki gasped at what Akiko said, while the twins laughed.

Just then, a very tall, black-haired boy entered the room. Akiko stared at the strong-looking newcomer, still embarrassed that someone – no, too people – were hugging her.

"Mitsukuni?" the tall boy asked.

"Takashi!" Honey jumped up onto the black haired boy's back, "I'm sorry, Takashi. I forgot we were playing! But we can play with Akiko-chan, right Aki-chan?"

"Um, sure," responded Akiko. She gazed at the boy that Honey was on top of, trying to figure out if she's seen him in the school before. _I don't know the names of anyone here,_ she realized. She glanced at the Hitachiin twins and scowled, _Well, except for them. _She turned to Kyoya, the one person she knew that might give her answers, "Kyoya-san, who is he?" Akiko pointed to the boy that Honey was on top of.

"That is Morinozuka Takashi. The guests call him Mori, though," Kyoya informed her.

"Morinozuka…" Akiko blinked as she realized something, "The Haninozukas! Kyoya-san, what are the full names of the people in this room?"

He looked up from his laptop, "Why do you ask?"

"Could you answer my question first?" Akiko crossed her arms.

Kyoya sighed before he started listing people, "Tamaki Suoh, Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, Takashi Morinozuka, Haruhi Fujioka, and myself, Kyoya Ootori."

Akiko felt faint. She was in a room full of insanely rich people? Other than Haruhi, of course. _I don't belong here… anyways, I'm not part of the club anyways. _Akiko bowed suddenly, saying, "I'm glad to meet you all. I am acquired somewhere else right now, though." And with that, Akiko slipped out of the room.

xXx

Akiko stepped out her limo – she never could get used to that, saying that it was _her_ limo. She stood still as she observed her aunt's house.

She only moved here a week ago, so she knew that she shouldn't judge, but she knew that this place wasn't her home. Akiko clenched her fists, trying to stop the overload of memories coming to her. She never did understand why parents always send their children to the places where they dislike the most after they die. It was cruel. Very cruel.

She finally made herself move, her limbs stiff as she entered the house. "Hiroshi!" she called out for her brother. When he didn't answer, Akiko walked around until she found one of the servants dusting a vase.

"Where is my brother?" asked Akiko.

The maid bowed, "I'm sorry, Miss Kimura, but the young master isn't available."

Akiko's eyebrows rose, "Really? Where is he, then?"

"He's at school."

"What?!" yelled Akiko, "He's never well enough to go to school! Which school is he going to?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Yamada-sama said that you would keep him from his education is I did," the maid said, referring to Akiko's aunt.

Akiko huffed, "Where is she?"

"Yamada-sama is at work."

"Fine then. I'll talk to her later," Akiko pressed her lips together in a thin line, and after a moment of hesitation, she ran up the grand staircase and went to her room, dropping all of her things on the floor. She laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what she should do while she waited.

* * *

A/N: I hope I can get another update for you guys real soon! But for now, would you mind reviewing? Reviewing really makes me motivated. I don't care if you have constructive criticism or not, I'd love it just to hear from my readers! *throws candy up into the air*


	3. You're Simply Annoying

**Wow! I'm actually working hard on updating! This is a miracle. ;)**

**I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. I only own Akiko, Hiroshi, Yamada-san, and any OCs that might come up later.**

* * *

"Okay, everyone!" Tamaki pulled out a whiteboard that was all-too-familiar, "We need to commence the operation!"

It was two hours before school started (so they could get a head start on their plan, according to Tamaki)

"What operation, Tono?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked.

Honey bounded up to Tamaki and looked up at him with large eyes, "Are we going to try and make Akiko happy? She seemed sad."

"Yes! We will do exactly that, Honey!" Tamaki declared triumphantly, as if he was the source of all happiness itself, "It is our job as the Host Club to make all women happy!"

"And how do you suppose we do that?" asked Hikaru.

"She doesn't seem to like us that much," Kaoru stated.

"B-but Aki-chan likes me, right?" Honey's eyes glistened with tears.

"Of course she likes you! That's why you're the most essential person in this operation!" Tamaki continued on excitedly without waiting for Honey's response. He pointed at Haruhi, "Haruhi! You are also needed!"

Haruhi scowled, "Why?"

"Just listen!" All of the hosts besides Kyoya gathered around Tamaki as he told them his plan.

* * *

"Hey, Hiroshi, where do you go to school?" Akiko interrogated her brother.

Hiroshi looked up warily. It was at least the sixth time that Akiko had asked the same question. Slowly – as if Akiko didn't hear him correctly before – he repeated his response, "I'm not allowed to tell you, Aki-nechan. You know that."

Akiko huffed and crossed her arms, "I'm going to find out soon enough, so why not tell me now?"

Her younger brother simply looked back at the table and stirred his green tea. Akiko scowled.

She had always been protective of Hiroshi, after that day when they first met. Akiko was only ten at the time, and Hiroshi had just been adopted. He was five, but when Akiko first saw him - just a small boy with pale skin that contrasted with his midnight black hair – he only seemed like he was three. He had been a sickly child and his parents neglected his needs, unlike Akiko's parents. Hiroshi had grown quite a bit since then.

"Is anybody bullying you at school?" asked Akiko, propping her elbows up and placing her chin in her hands as she studied her adopted brother.

It took a while for Hiroshi to answer, "…no. And even if they did, it was only the first day. It's probably just a misunderstanding."

"Ah! So they _are_ bullying you! Well, I'll show them!" Akiko narrowed her eyes and cracked her knuckles, "What are their names?"

"Don't worry about it, onee-chan. I'll be fine," he smiled weakly at her. Akiko sighed.

"Well, then, you better hurry and get to school on time. No use to get detention on the second day," Akiko grabbed her bag. She walked over to Hiroshi and ruffled his hair. He tried to straighten it again, but she mussed it up again, "See you later, little brother."

xXx

"Hey, Aki-chan!"

Akiko whipped around to see Honey waving to her. Surprisingly, Mori wasn't with the short, blonde boy. Was something going on…?

"Aki-chan?" Honey had skipped over to Akiko and was now looking at her with his wide, brown eyes.

"Hi Honey!" Akiko smiled brightly, "How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing really good! I'm going to eat lots and lots of cake today! Do you want to come?" asked Honey.

"Er… um, are you going to be at the Host Club?"

"Yep! Takashi and I are Hosts, remember?"

Akiko took a step back, "I don't think I will go… maybe later, okay?"

Honey's lower lip started trembling. He looked as if he was about to cry, "Why won't you come, Aki-chan?"

"Well, I just don't want to be with those other idiots again. Like Tamaki-san for instance," deadpanned Akiko. Faintly, she heard_, "Mommy! Make our second daughter stop using such bad words!"_

Akiko's eyes widened as she realized what's going on. Her cheeks flushed red as she whipped around and glared at Tamaki's (and the rest of the Host Club's) hiding spot. "I don't want to go to the Host Club," Akiko forced herself to speak in a slow, calm voice, "So please don't follow me."

She turned around and stormed to her classroom. People stepped away from her path to keep themselves from getting trampled. Just as Akiko plopped down onto her seat, she realized that Tamaki and Kyoya go to the same class as her, so…

"Aki-hime!" whined Tamaki, "Why are you being so _mean_?"

Akiko scowled, but replaced it with a curious expression as she stood up and looked out the window as if she were searching for something outside, "Strange. I think I'm hearing a rich snob, but I surely can't be."

Tamaki gasped and tugged on Kyoya's sleeve, "Mommy! She's doing it again!"

Kyoya simply pried off Tamaki's fingers from his blazer and walked to his desk. Tamaki had an expression of despair on his face as he collapsed to his knees, "Everyone has betrayed me… Aki-hime… even Mommy…."

At those seven words, almost all the girls in the room – even some in the hallway – gathered around Tamaki and comforted him, saying things like "I won't ever betray you!" and "I'm sure that they didn't mean it!"

Akiko had to keep herself from laughing at Tamaki's act. _Wait... what if it isn't an act?_ Her eyes widened at the thought, _What if these people really do care for me? I guess… that I can go to the Host Club for a bit._

xXx

"Akiko-san? I thought you said you weren't going to come to the Host Club?"

Akiko had decided to tell Haruhi that she was going to the Host Club, but she still had to explain why. Akiko combed through her loose, blonde hair – a sign that she was nervous, "I just, you know, want to see if the Host Club honestly cares for the happiness of women. Simple."

Haruhi _studied_ her for a moment, "I don't understand. You were so against Tamaki-san earlier this morning. Is everything okay?"

"Of course everything's okay," Akiko smiled for Haruhi's sake, but it quickly dropped off her face when she saw the Hitachiin twins heading towards them.

"Haruhi~" they said simultaneously, "You're making us late!"

Haruhi sweat-dropped, "No I'm not. You didn't need to wait for me. I'm just talking to Akiko-san."

The twins blinked. Akiko scowled. They probably didn't realize that she was there until Haruhi said her name. Then Kaoru and Hikaru grinned mischievously, "You're coming along too, right?"

Before Akiko or even Haruhi could respond, the twins took their arms and dragged them all the way to Music Room #3.

* * *

A/N: Hello! I feel so happy because I have reviewers, followers, and favorite-ers. You people are the best. :D So I'm going to be slowly revealing Akiko's secrets slowly. I'm open to all suggestions and criticism. :)

Anyways, I have two other story ideas for OHSHC fanfics (and a lot of other ideas for other stuff), but I don't know which one I should do next (I'm planning to do it after this story, but if I end up doing one of these, I'll still update both) Is it too early to be thinking about this? I hope not.

Take a Bow, Take a Breath  
_Mori's sister, Tsukiko Morinozuka, enrolled in Ouran! The Host Club were expecting a silent young lady but instead they ended up with an out-of-her-mind, talented, talkative, and energetic girl. However, there are some things that Tsuki is hiding from her brother and the rest of the Hosts. (KaoruxOC)  
_

Annoying Love  
_When Miyako was in Ouran Private Middle School, she had fallen for Hitachiin Hikaru. Before she moved to England, she decided to give him a love letter, but he broke her heart. Now she's back in Japan and she's going to Ouran High, but there's one difference in her feelings this time: she completely loathes Hikaru._

Please review and give me your vote on which story I should write first! ;D


	4. Tricks and Games

**I am SO sorry. I accidently uploaded a chapter to my old Gone With the Wind story. That was really stupid of me. My only excuse was that I was in a rush to upload and I was on a completely different computer. I'm so sorry, guys.  
**

**I don't know Ouran High School Host Club. I only own Akiko Kimura and all the other OCs that have and will appear in this story.**

* * *

The twins dropped Haruhi as soon as they reached the music room (Haruhi couldn't escape anymore), but they still held Akiko's arms, ready to drag her again.

"Good job, Kaoru and Hikaru! Now it's time for Phase 2!" said Tamaki, obviously proud that his plan was working so far.

The red-headed twins hauled Akiko to the dressing room, where they pushed her behind the curtain and threw articles of clothing at her. "Wear that," they said together.

She scowled, crossing her arms in an act of defiance. Sighing, she uncrossed her arms and reached for the outfit. Her eyes widened as she saw it was a pastel pink dress – honestly, it was quite simple, but petite. Akiko gave a sigh of relief when she saw that it had a long skirt.

Akiko had also been given ballerina pink tights and Mary Janes of a darker pink. After Akiko put it on and looked down at the dress, she couldn't help but admit that the outfit was beautiful, even if she doesn't like dresses that much.

She stepped out from behind the curtains to see one of the twins. He looked up from the ground and started to study her intently. Akiko blushed furiously, "Stop staring at me! What do you want? Which twin are you, anyways?"

"I'm Hikaru," he swiftly turned around, grabbed something from the vanity table, and walked towards her. She shut her eyes as she felt Hikaru do something with her hair.

"Done," he finally said, pride showing through his voice.

Akiko opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. She gasped at the reflection. Her long bangs were pinned back with a pink butterfly pin, and the pink dress made her white skin look like cream. She felt… pretty. She turned around to Hikaru, "Thank you, Hikaru. By the way, where is Kaoru?"

Hikaru shrugged, "Milord asked him to grab Haruhi's and your things, since Haruhi was complaining about losing his homework so much."

"Oh. Okay," said Akiko, not sure how she should respond - with a thank you, maybe? "So, um, where did Kaoru leave my stuff?"

"With Haruhi," answered Hikaru. Akiko was walking to the door when Hikaru called out to her, "Hey, I have a favor to ask you."

She turned and gave him a wary look, "What is it?"

Hikaru stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear. When he finished telling her and leaned away, Akiko giggled, "Sure, I'll do it."

* * *

"You are so lovely, my sweet lily maiden," said Tamaki. He was sitting next to one of his costumers, lifting her face closer to his, "There's no beauty that is greater than yours."

"Oh… Tamaki…" breathed the girl next to him.

"Hey, Tono! Come over here!" Hikaru called.

Tamaki glanced up from his costumer to the redhead twin before standing up, "I'm so sorry, milady. Something of upmost importance has come up."

He strode over to Hikaru, his mouth already opening in a question when Hikaru opened the door to the backroom, revealing a pretty, blue-eyed girl in a pink dress. Tamaki blushed when he realized it was Akiko.

"Aki-hime," Tamaki bowed, regaining his cool, "It's so lovely to see you in such a pretty dress, but it is nothing compared to your beauty."

"Oh," said Akiko in an embarrassed tone. She held her hand at her cheek, pressing it against the warm skin, "I… thank you, Tamaki-kun. I dressed up for you, you know."

Tamaki's eyes widened at her comment, and he froze still, "Aki-hime… I'm so glad that you did…"

Akiko took advantage of his shock and took a few steps towards him, until she was only a few inches away, "Tamaki… I'd do anything for you…" she lifted her heels and went on her toes as she leaned towards Tamaki and it seemed as if she was about to kiss his cheek when she shoved him away from her. He stumbled back and fell on the ground as Hikaru burst with laughter, Kaoru joining in. Akiko tried to suppress her smile, but she ended up falling in laughter and onto the ground with the twins. Even Haruhi giggled a bit.

"Oh – oh! Your expression, Tamaki! It was so hilarious!" yelled Hikaru, unable to catch his breath.

Akiko took deep breaths, trying to stifle her mirth as she said, "I – I can't be – believe you fell for that, Suoh-san!"

Tamaki gasped in horror, "What do you mean, Aki-hime?"

Altogether, the twins and Akiko grinned devil-ishly, glints in their eyes, "It was a prank."

As the King of the Host Club turned white, went limp, and passed out on the ground, the four laughing students were able to catch their breath. All of the Host Club (and a few costumers) gathered around Tamaki, who was still passed out on the floor.

"Should we wake him up?" asked Haruhi.

"Nah," the twins shook their heads, "It's much more interesting this way."

"Well, I still need to know why I'm dress up in this silly thing," said Akiko, who was holding her skirt and inspecting the dress.

Kyoya pushed up his glasses, making them glare in the light, "Tamaki wants you to join the Host Club."

Akiko stepped back, her ice blue eyes wide, "W-what? I'm a girl, and everyone knows it. I ca –"

It was at that moment that Tamaki woke up. He stood up, and (with flair) dramatically held his arms out as he said, "Aki-hime, I have heard from Honey and I know that you love music!"

Akiko sweat-dropped, _Even Honey doesn't know for sure. Suoh-san is assuming things again._

Without looking at her expression, Tamaki continued, "So, now we must ask of you," he walked up to her and put a finger under her chin, lifting her face closer to his. Softly, he asked, "Will you be our musician?"

Akiko grimaced and pushed him away from her. She looked at her hands as if she had touched something horrible, "Eew! Disgusting! I touched worthlessness!"

Tamaki retreated to his emo corner as Akiko added, "Suoh-san, I'd appreciate it if you didn't use your prince act on me."

He turned around to look at her with his puppy-eyes, "B-but, I wasn't acting!"

"Well?" Kaoru and Hikaru asked her, "What's your answer?"

"No," deadpanned Akiko, "Not now, not ever."

"It might be good for you, Akiko-san," noted Haruhi.

Akiko glared at Haruhi, "I know what's good for me and what's not. Good day."

She started to walk by the empty couches and seats – Akiko guessed that the girls had been ushered out while she was changing – but then she felt small hands grab onto her arm. She turned around and saw a sad Honey staring up at her, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Aki-chan, if you join the club, we can play more, right?" Honey asked hopefully. He added, "But if you don't join, w-we won't be able to play!" Honey burst into tears.

Akiko's hands fluttered by her side in a moment of hesitation, but she gave in. She bent down and hugged Honey, "Don't worry, Honey! I'll stay and play with you!"

"Yay!" cheered Honey, "You're going to join the Host Club, right? I get to see you every day now!"

"Um…" Akiko slumped. _I don't really have a choice now, do I?_ "Sure, Honey-kun."

She heard the rest of the Hosts cheering behind her, but she didn't really care. She might have as well sold her soul to the devil.

* * *

A/N: In case you were wondering, Akiko is now addressing people while she's thinking (except the Hitachiin twins and Honey) by their last names because she's just overly polite like that.

Well, with some help by my brother, I decided that I'd start writing Annoying Love first, but~ I won't be posting any chapters until I reach chapter 6 of this story. When I reach chapter 15 of this story (it should reach the end around that time), I'll start writing Take a Bow, Take a Breath.

I hope you've enjoyed the chapter! Please review and tell me what you think. I didn't proofread this time so if you can point out any mistakes I'd just totally love you.

See you soon!


	5. Here We Go Again

**I do not own Ouran High School Host Club - I can't nearly draw that well!**

* * *

"So… you want me to sit here on this seat and play the piano?"

Tamaki nodded eagerly, "Yes! My dear lady, please sit down and let us hear your sweet, lovely music."

Akiko gave the blonde second-year a wary look and fibbed, "I don't know how to play piano."

She felt a tug on her sleeve. Akiko glanced down to see Honey looking up at her, "But Aki-chan! I saw you playing the piano! Why are you lying? Do you not like Tama-chan?"

"See! You are clearly lying!" Tamaki exclaimed, pointing at her.

_What's up with his sudden mood changes?_ Akiko bitterly thought to herself, _One minute, he's as courteous as a prince but in the next, he's just a bumbling, eccentric child. It's like his mother never was around to raise him and he still needs guidance,_ she studied Tamaki, _then again, he is like a leader in most ways._

"Fine," she said grumpily, crossing her arms, "But I won't be playing for you, Suoh-san."

"Aki-hime," Tamaki walked towards her and put a hand under her chin, lifting it closer to his face until they were only centimeters apart, "Please, call me Tamaki. We're too close for formalities."

"Ugh, please get away from me, Suoh-san," groaned Akiko. At her words, Tamaki rushed to his too-well-known corner where he succeeds in his career of mushroom farming. Akiko rolled her eyes before facing the shorter blonde boy beside her, "Hey, Honey, you can go entertain your guests. I'll start playing in a minute."

Honey nodded excitedly and skipped towards Mori. Akiko turned to the piano, studying it as she had when Tamaki had revealed it. He hadn't shown her any of the other musical instruments that were probably stored in the room.

She sat down on the plush, red velvet piano seat, her fingers hovering over the keys. She shut her eyes, mentally going through the lists of songs she had memorized so long ago. After a moment, she took a deep breath and started playing. The song she was playing was a sad one – but Akiko always felt like she could relate to it.

The tune coming from the piano caused the Hosts and many of the customers to look up and stare at her in awe. Akiko couldn't see their expressions, and she panicked when she felt their gazes practically burning a hole through her. _They must really, really hate my music… drats._

She slowed when she reached the end of the song, letting the last note linger in the air. Before anyone could say a thing, Akiko continued with a different song.

She couldn't stop playing in fear of people shunning her for her horrible performing.

* * *

Tamaki watched Akiko play, his eyes wide in astonishment. Hikaru and Kaoru appeared behind him, smirking.

"You love her…" Kaoru started, whispering in Tamaki's ear.

"…don't you?" finished Hikaru.

Tamaki flew out of his seat and flailed his arms, "No! Of course not! I respect her like I do with all princesses! I –"

"You have to admit," interrupted Haruhi, "Akiko-san's music is very good. Wouldn't you agree, Kyoya?" The brunette glanced at the black-haired schemer.

Kyoya stopped his typing to push up his glasses, "She will be of benefit to the Host Club."

The twins and Haruhi sweat-dropped, "Is that all you care about?"

The Shadow King glared at them, "Yes."

* * *

"You're really amazing, Aki-chan!" Honey chirped, sitting on the piano bench next to Akiko.

A great _krrcccchhh _filled the music room, causing many of the customers to cover their ears in shock and pain. The Hosts had gone back to hosting a few hours ago, and Akiko had relaxed when she realized that not as many people were staring at her. She had even taken a few breaks to drink water and relax her hands. She couldn't even remember the last time when she had practiced piano for longer than an hour. How long did these idiots spend each day woo-ing these poor young ladies?

Akiko flushed, "Honey! Um, er, thanks…"

Honey beamed, "No problem!" He skipped back to Mori and started to eat cake again. Akiko stared after him, a quizzical look on her face.

"Attention, everyone! The Host Club is now closed for today!" Tamaki announced, "Please come again tomorrow, my dear princesses!"

A few girls giggled and whispered to each other, and Akiko could swear she saw some of them wiping a few tears away. Many of them crowded around Kyoya, making tomorrow's reservations for their favorite Hosts.

_What kind of girls are they?_ Akiko wondered, _They're not like any people I've ever met. Don't they realize that this whole thing is an act?_

"Hey, Aki –" the twins started to say, but Akiko cut them off, "Sorry, Hikaru-san and Kaoru-san! I need to go home now! Bye!"

She grabbed her bag and ran out of the room, hoping to avoid whatever chaos that the Host Club ensues after they close.

xXx

Akiko sat at the dining table, chewing her pencil. There wasn't much else to do – she didn't understand her schoolwork, and there was no way she was going to ask someone for help. Hiroshi didn't come home yet, so she couldn't chat with him like she usually did.

Unexpectedly, the house phone beside her broke the silence. Akiko yelped in surprise, falling off her chair. Rubbing her sore back, she scrambled up and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" she said into the mouthpiece.

"Is this Hana Yamada?" a deep, man's voice asked.

"Sorry, my aunt isn't available. Would you like to leave a message for her?" Akiko tapped her pencil eraser on the wooden table, already bored. Business-people called a lot, asking for her aunt, so Akiko was used to this.

"Yes, I would," said the man on the line. He paused before asking, "Are you her niece, Akiko Kimura?"

"Yes, sir, I am," she confirmed.

"Please tell your aunt that the betrothal plan has gone well," the guy hung up, making the phone make a beeping sound.

Akiko's brow furrowed, her mouth pressed in a thin line. _Betrothal…?_ she thought to herself. Her aunt was very elderly and it was unlikely that she would get married. _I shouldn't worry about it… unless…._

Her eyes widened, _…unless I'm the one who's getting married._

It was impossible. She knew that people of rich standard did get betrothed at young ages, but… her aunt wouldn't do that, right? Her aunt knew that Akiko's parents didn't want her to be forced into marriage.

"I guess I'll need to ask her…" Akiko said to herself. She sighed and leaned back. The door to the room burst open, causing Akiko to fall out of the chair. Her head knocked into a chair.

"Not again…" she groaned, rubbing her aching head.

"I'm sorry, Aki-nechan! Do you want ice?" Hiroshi asked, rushing over to his sister. Akiko brushed him off, "Don't worry, Hiroshi. I'm fine. Did you want anything?"

Hiroshi flushed, and looked at the ground sheepishly, "… No. I was just wondering where you were."

Akiko stared blankly at her brother for a minute, slightly annoyed but happy that Hiroshi cared enough to look for her. She reached up and ruffled her adopted brother's hair, "Okay, little bro. Go and play now. I need to do schoolwork."

"Talk to you later!" he ran out of the room to play upstairs. Akiko laughed to herself, feeling sorry for whatever well-payed servant that will have to take care of him. She felt a small smile enter her face. Once Oba-san came back home, Akiko could tell her about the call and ask her what the man had meant.

xXx

Akiko groggily opened her eyes, dead tired. She had stayed up so late the previous night, but her aunt had been at a business meeting and couldn't return until… who knows when. Unfortunately, none of the servants had told her about the meeting until it was past eleven p.m..

"Miss Akiko?" a maid knocked on the door, "It's time to get ready to go to school."

"Then tell the school that I'm suffering from insomnia!" Akiko retorted, stuffing her face into a pillow.

There was a pause before the maid responded, "Miss Yamada said that she can't tell you some important information after school if you don't go to school."

Akiko jumped up and ran into her private bathroom to get ready. Outside the door, the maid chuckled to herself.

"Now, I don't see why she shouldn't wake up like this every day," the young employee smiled to herself.

xXx

Akiko stretched her arms out and leaned on the chair, tilting her head backwards so she was looking up at the ceiling. She didn't bother to cover her yawn – not many students were in the classroom anyways. Akiko shut her eyes, relief flowing through her. Today was – simply put – a boring day. There was no escape from the multitude of tests that were given today.

Out of nowhere, Akiko could feel someone breathing on her face. She reluctantly opened her eyes, and she saw the face she was hoping to never see again.

"You… you… you-disgusting-piece-of-filth-I-hope-to-never-see-you-again!" Akiko sat upright, nearly causing her head to collide with Tamaki's. She stood up and faced him, "You imbecile! How dare you bring your worthless face so close to one of a girl's? You pervert! Creepy creepy pervert!"

Tamaki gasped and hid behind Kyoya. "Mommy!" he cried, "Our baby girl is being mean to her daddy! She's using bad words again!"

When Kyoya ignored him, Tamaki retreated to his corner of doom. Akiko coughed, trying to hold her laughter in. But soon enough, she was laughing so hard that she was gripping her desk to keep from falling on the floor.

Kyoya paused in the middle of whatever he was writing in his mysterious notebook and glanced at Akiko before resuming, and even Tamaki rose out of the pit of despair he was in to stare at Akiko.

Akiko finally caught her breath, wiping a few tears away from her eyes, "Ah, that was a good one. Well, see you guys tomorrow!" She waved to the two Hosts and was about to leave when Tamaki grabbed her arm.

"Hmm?" she blinked at him, "What do you want, Suoh-san?"

"We're going on a trip!" Tamaki told her excitedly.

"Wha.. what? I don't need to be part of that, right?"

Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose, "Actually, because you're part of the Host Club,

Akiko slumped, "No kidding."

"Your aunt approves. She cancelled all of your activities you had to do today, so you have no reason to not come with us," stated Kyoya.

Akiko sweatdropped, "You actually talked to my aunt? Well, I –"

She stopped speaking, leaving her mouth hung open as she stared at Kyoya. Shock ran through her as she realized that Kyoya… must know her secret. That is, if he had actually contacted her aunt. She hadn't told anyone that her parents had... and Kyoya did seem like the prying type... Her surprise turned into hate as she glared at Kyoya. He smirked at her.

"Hey," Tamaki put a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him, "Aki-hime, you should keep laughing." He put a hand under her chin and leaned closer to her, "You look much more lovelier when you're smiling."

Before Akiko could respond, Tamaki started prattling on about the trip to who-knows-where, and he began to lead her out of the classroom. She followed, but her mind was somewhere else.

* * *

A/N: I know that you probably don't want to waste time for reading this, but I have a real reason as to why I haven't updated yet! First of all, I really want to apologize on the mess-up the other day. I accidently posted the beginning chapter of a story I had took off the site. So sorry!

So, when I was writing this chapter, I had extreeeeme writer's block. I was stuck trying to figure out what I should do. Fortunately, I got through that and had written about 1,000 words when I lost my flashdrive and I had to start from the middle of the chapter and I had completely forgot what direction I was going in. Oh well!

BUT THEN - my family was too busy and I had no time to write. See, we just moved to a completely different country because my mom's in the military. Anyways, I'll give you a hint as to where I am. I'm where "America's Day Begins!"

I know this chapter isn't the best, but I promise, the romance is going to be coming up real soon! And there _will__ be an actual plot__ to this_.

Also, a couple of chapters ago, I had asked you guys what story I should do after this story, and I decided to settle with Annoying Love, but...

I realized...

Take a Bow, Take a Breath would make a _perfect_ sequel to this, just with a new OC. So I think I'll just do that. Fiddlesticks, I really am horrible at making decisions and not changing my mind, aren't I? Anyways, if any of my beloved readers would like to know about the stories I plan to write after this one, feel free to ask or PM me!

Please review! I would love it if you gave me any suggestions or told me what you like or dislike about this story. I mean, I love all the reviews I get, but I love it so much when you guys say more than one sentence. I hope I don't sound whiny...

I wish you all a good farewell! May we meet again!


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